Interested in all fan culture at united we stand so we decided to interview a fan of Bristol city -

a team we have not played in nearly 30 years rather than a club we will meer next week so here's a fan

and sometimes DJ James Bolam........

Q. Bristol is a big city so why has it been so long since you have had a top flight football team?

A. From Bristol city's perspective, the main reason is that we took a long, long time to recover from three sucsessive relegations the club made history being the first team to go from the first to the fourth in sucsessive seasons. In 1982 the club went bankrupt and was only saved when the players known as the Ashton gate eight tore up their ltore up their lucrative and long contracts to save the club at the 11th hour. Can you imagine that happening now? the clubs road back has been a long and tough one, five seasons in the second tier seen us in 90-95 and 98-99 we have spent some time in the lower divisions. As for neighbours north of the river...City have always been the bigger club in Bristol, albeit by a small margin untill when the Gas were kicked out of Eastville stadium because the lease ended with the stadium owners and they then went on to spend 10 years out of Bristol in Bath and they never really recovered from that despite gaining a few students during the Bath days, they lost a lot of a generation of Bristolians. Apathy is also a factor. Bristol swimming with replica shirts of the top four and other premier league clubs

and a lot of the Bristol public watch premier league football via out of town supporters clubs (a small minority) or on sky in a boozer on television. Had Bristol city won promotion to the premier league last season then that would have changed and i'm sure some of those tops would have been replaced with city ones and the bandwagon would have been fully jumped on.

Q: How did you feel when you lost out in the play-off final last season?

A: At first i was gutted, but on reflection, very proud of what we achived. After 30 years - straight after promotion after nine years of misses. I would have been happy with fourth from bottom of the CCC before the season started after, in words of our chairman, ''last time we went up we cocked it up'' (we were swiftly relegated after squandering a lot of money after promotion in 97-98). We never expected it and automatic promotion looked good untill defeat at stoke. Although i have a nagging doubt that,, that was our chance hope i'm wrong.

Q: How big an issue is reaching the premier league to Bristol city fans?

A: It would mean everything. The scenes and atmosphere at Ashton gate during and after the play off semi final vs crystal palace were hairs on the back of the neck moments. In the 70's when we were there, we were getting crowds of 35,000 and the city was buzzing. Even members of the blue few got down the gate to watch the big clubs.

Q: What do you think of Manchester united - a)the team b)the club c)the fans d)the manager?

A: a) A brilliant side and fantastic to watch, world class players mixed with home grown talent and never say die attitude.

b) A cynical money making machine like all big clubs, although when football sold out in 92, that was the way clubs were going to go and United were smart enough to take advantage.

c) Untill i moved to manchester six years ago, i fell for the myth that all United fans were out of towners, which i now know isn't true. I got time for manc- based fans but not really for any other places.

d) As a football manager, his record speaks for itself and you just can't knock what he has achived. He seems to be a man of character and certainly looks after his own.

Q: Most Manchester united fans would love to draw Bristol city away in the cup...

A: I think united fans would enjoy the trip. Bristol's a top city for a sesh with some really top pubs. The section given to away fans is half of the Eastend, which is basically the stretford end. It's probably the best away end in the country and it's just seats bolted on to old terracing and the acoustics are superb. Even a skateboard load of chesterfield fans can make a racket and the stewards tend to be laid back and leave you alone if you spend the match standing up. Ashton gate is a old style ground now, although it used to be one of the best outside the top flight. United certainly enjoyed the trip in 74. Some older heads imform me that was the only time anyone managed to ''take'' the Eastend. Respect due.

Q: What's the attitude to rugby union in Bristol?

A: Rugby is popular but that i just put that down to Bristols proximity to Wales and the fact that, for the moment at least, Bristol are in rugbys top flight (although the play at the memorial stadium home also of Bristol rovers the stadium does not hold a massive capacity) Many fans won't follow it at all. I find it dull.

Q: Who do you consider to be your main rivals?

A: For obvious reasons Bristol rovers, although they have sunk off our radar in reacent years. The Bristol derby is vociferous and a mate of mine who isn't from Bristol has said it is the maddest derby he has ever been to. Traditionally it's south Bristol vs north Bristol rivalry, although support is not quite as religionalised within the city as it once was.

Cardiff city are our other main rivals. Thats our cross city rivalry, a bit like United - Liverpool. It's an England vs Wales affair really, and is more about sad nationalistic scrapping than football and the game between the two teams is covered by the ''bubble trip'' for away supporters.

Some consider Swindon town to be rivals but, although i don't like them, i'm not too bothere. Plymouth and torquay consider us as rivals but we are geographically closer to London and Birmingham and so that is really one sided.

Q: Joe jordan, Andy cole, Ralph milne. Who are your favourites from players who have played for both United and City.

A: Andy cole was great and formed a dream strike force with Dziekanowski, who is quite simply the Polish

George best in more ways than one. Joe jordan was a good player, albeit at the end of his career and a

sucessful manager first time around. Ralph milne was dreadful - enough said.

Q: Tell us something about Bristol we don't already know?

A: Hollywood actor Carey grant is a Bristolian. Despite being born on the wrong side of the river Avon,

rumours abound that he could be found down the gate before Hollywood stardom beckoned.

Q: Some great music has come out of your part of the world: massive attack, portishead, roni size,

nick warren. Was that Bristols equivalent of our team of 92, or is there a continuing legacy?

A: Bristols equivalent of your team of 92 i'm afraid. Good times, as City season ticket holder Justin lee collins might say, but from what i can tell there's nothing of note coming from Bristol right now. Bristol has always been a dance city and some of the dance clubs such as Blowpop are great but there are no decent guitar bands and most are skate-punk rock. I left in 2002 for manchester, mainly because i was disillusioned with the scene. Lakota, which was Bristols scruffier version of Hacienda, is shortly to become flats. The end of an era.

Q: And The wurzels of couse?...........

A: They are Bristol city fans and writers of the clubs song ''Drink up thy zider'' Unfortunately the Wurzels

have never been the same (for older people) since leader and former singer Adge cutler went to the great cider house in the sky.

Q: What's the fan culture like at BCFC with regard to fanzines, independent supporter movements and the like?

A: There's one printed fanzine left called ''one team in Bristol'' which seems to get thinner by the season.

The printed fanzine hey-day was 92-93 when we had Ultra, which was made by 3D of massive attack and dave massey, who's now president of mercury records. It was the first magazine-style glossy fanzine and a really good read. We've now got a supporters trust that works with the club and they get celebrity fans such as Tony robinson and Jonathan pearce to attend fund raising events to encourage fans to purchase shares in the club through membership. There's a good online fanzine called Three lions and a robin which started the Forza Eastend campaign that arranges flag and streamer days and has a link up with Willem II in Holland. The idea is to get a real atmosphere going after years of sterility and so far it is working.

Q: What is the relationship like between fans and the club?

A: Better now than it's ever been. They seem to be listening (at the time of writing) to fans requests not to build a souless bowl when it comes to the new stadium plans and the chairman attends Q&A sessions arranged by the supporters trust at away games and often stops for a pint with fans after.

Q: How many do you take away?

A: It depends on how we are doing but usually at least a thousand. Last season we took 3,401 to coventry but only 263 to hull on a tuesday night.

Q: Name your all time favourite XI Bristol city players?

A: Adriano basso, Geoff merrick, Martin scott, Keith curle, Rob newman, Brian tinnion, Scott murray, Norman hunter, John atyeo, Jackie diezenowski, Alan walsh.

Q: Where will you finish this season?

A: Optimistically i'd say a late push for the play off's but realistically mid-table consolidation.

ANDY.............